


Aliens and Airwaves

by curekepralssyndrome (orphan_account)



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: ??? - Freeform, F/M, LMAO, Like, So yea, Stuff, and, cant, deaf shepard au, hear, idk - Freeform, if you kno me you kno im a MESS, like why do you even bother reading my tags, set at the bit in ME2 where she's still recruiting everyone, she, tbh, that ill explain as i go through, this will be FULL OF HEADCANONS
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2017-01-26
Packaged: 2018-08-13 18:51:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7982359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/curekepralssyndrome





	1. Chapter 1

Thane ignored the blast of cold air, peering through the grilled gate of the ventilation shaft, watching as a the light at the end of the tunnel fliskered, indicating the office of Nassana Dantius, the Asari he had decided to kill. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his rushed breath, lungs stinging with the effort. His legs ached, having ran, and scaled, keeping himself ahead of the strangers that pushed him so.

"Shepard? But... you're dead?" Thane watched as she spun around, the door opening and closing, at least three more pairs of feet stomping into the room. Thane silently regretted choosing such an awkward position to wait in, crouched a few feet away, waiting for an opening, only barely able to hear when he strained and held his breath.

"She got better." A graveled voice growled, threats laced into each syllable, Thane smirked, watching as Nassana regained her composure quickly.

"And now you're here to kill me." She seethed, the sounds of weapons being unsheathed filled the small office, the hum and clicks comforting.

"You're really paranoid, aren't you?" The same voice replied, the end tilting upward in entertainment, maybe humoured? Thane didn't care much to analyze this _Shepards_ involvement with the criminal.

"Don't patronize me Shepard." She walked back, towards the window, passing directly under Thanes line of sight, his shoulders tensing.

"Charming as ever." The gruffness replied again, after a longer pause.

"I'm sure you find this very ironic, first taking care of my sister, now you're here for me." Thane had heard rumors of how Dantius had arranged her own sisters demise, having chosen to believe the worst of her, he felt a sudden rush, urging him to finish the job.

"Well, you made it this far, now what?"

"You really think I'm here to kill you?" Thane cocked his head, were they stalling? They had been looking for him, chasing him, close on his tail the whole time, making his heart race with adrenaline for the first time in months.

"Do you have another reason for destroying my tower? Decimating my security?"

"She's just looking for someone." They snapped.

"You expect me to believe that? Is it credits? Is that what you want? Tell me your price and let's make this problem go away." She bargained, pacing around like a spooked horse. Thane shifted, cringing at the sound of his own feet echoing off the metal.

"All the credits in the world won't make this problem go away, Nassana," the reply was punctuated by a deep laugh, slow and stifled, fake sounding.

"Who the hell gave you the right to play god? I may not be perfect but look at you, we both kill people for money, what's the difference?" She spat, finally stilling as she stood behind her desk.

"You kill people... because you think they're beneath you; or in your way, she kills them because they leave her no choice." the gruff voice paused, as if thinking over the words as they left his mouth.

"You've got a choice, you don't have to do this, I can tell you..." I shifted again, getting closer , her voice a crack of a whip in the air when she yelled.

_"What?"_

"I thought I heard something."

"Dammit, check the other entrances." Nassana ordered, Thane now close enough to catch a glimpse of the orange glow that flooded the floor, the backs of white armored troops.

"You... _stay put_."

Thane lowered himself, dropping to the ground as silently as he could, letting his bodies instincts take over. Nassanas voice was a background blur, Thane advancing and reaching up, gripping the warm flesh of the humans neck, twisting it as hard as he could, breaking the bones with a satisfying snap. The next, he thrust his fist forward, focusing his knuckles like knives, the security guard choking on the force. The next was fast, lifting a gun to him, Thane met her eyes for a moment, sending a silent prayer for her soul before letting her rest, lifting his own pistol and firing. He took hold of Nassanas arm, twisting it in his grip, letting her stumble and fall, resting the pistol he caught against her abdomen.

"...Who?" She strangled out, his finger squeezing the trigger, her weight slumped against him. He closed his eyes, already wishing for forgiveness, lowering her onto the desk, assuming his position to pray.

"Impressive... You certainly know how to make an entrance." A voice interjected, higher, faster than the voice before.

"She was hoping to talk to you." The angrier voice stated after another silent moment.

"I apologize, but prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken." He replied, only looking up briefly before resuming the rite.

"You think she deserves it?"

"Not for her, for me." Thane frowned, correcting the assumption, looking up to meet their eyes. A human, black N7 armor, Turian, scarred, and a Krogan, he watched the human carefully, but also shifted his eyes to Thane.

"The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take you for instance, all this destruction... chaos. I was curious to see how far you'd go to find me." He gestured to the corpse of Nassana, slowly rounding the desk and standing before them. 

"Well... here I am." He watched the human carefully, her hands moving quickly, the Krogan watching them intently before speaking.

"She wants you to slow down." He grunted, shuffling impatiently, frowning at her.

"Excuse me?" He asked, frowning, the Krogan rolling his eyes.

"What he means is, she can't read your lips well if you move around, or talk too fast." The Turian clarified.

"Commander Shepard-" Thane began, folding his hands behind his back, a new voice suddenly interrupting him. Slow and deliberate, every word carefully iterated, but imposing.

"I'm deaf, asshole."


	2. Shepard

"I've heard impressive stories, Krios. Sounds like you'll be an asset to the team." Jacob spat out, shifting and crossing his arms, greeting Thane.

"That is if you're comfortable having an assassin watch your back." He turned to Shepard, the warning behind his words not to be misinterpreted.

"I've accepted a contract. My arm is Shepard's." Thane interjected before Shepard could respond, crossing his arms politely behind his back.

Shepard carefully let her eyes go from Thane to Jacob, most of her attention on their lips, not letting a word pass her by. She sighed, rolling her eyes at the frown that had spread over Jacobs face at the assassins words. Reading lips, watching for social cues, careful of peoples expressions, Shepard half wished she was back on the mission. Watching for enemy fire was much easier than watching for words she had to read the shapes of.

"Uh-Huh, I don't know about you, but I'm loyal to more than my next pay check." Jacob countered, Shepard having to take a step forward to read his lips.

_"Obviously, he is too, he's doing this mission gratis. What's your concern?"_ Shepard informed Jacob, narrowing her eyes at him. She hated speaking, having to try and make the sounds, her voice raspy and monotone from under use. She signed the words she spoke, even knowing neither knew ASL, it was a habit that had stuck with her when learning it herself as a child.

"I don't like mercenaries. An assassin, is just a precise mercenary." Jacob skewered Thane with his eyes, Shepard almost missing Thanes retort.

"An assassin is a weapon. A weapon doesn't choose to kill, the one who wields it does." Shepard liked Thanes lips, the crease of the center, the curve of the cupids bow on top. Watching mouths could make Shepards stomach churn, oral hygiene not a priority in her line of work, yellowing teeth, skin worried away in patches. The Drells was a welcome change.

"Where shall I put my things? I'd prefer some place dry, if anything is available." He asked, Shepard nodding in understanding as EDI projected herself from the rooms table, Shepard wondering how long she'd listened in. There was a pause as EDI pulsed, the queue to be quiet, informing Thane of where he could stay. Shepard made a mental note to remind EDI to provide subtitles next time.

"Ah? An AI, my thanks." Thane bowed, Shepard nodding in reciprocation before he left, Jacobs face still pursed, annoyed. EDI moved with more silent words, Shepard standing in front of her, signing 'Subs EDI.' Spelling out EDIs name, each letter a sign, a new movement, each finger meticulously placed.

"Oh, apologies, will not happen again Commander. He seems quite civil." She disappeared as quickly as she'd appeared, Shepard admitting to herself that she had been appreciating the AI more as she learned.

_"We need all the help we can get. He's not what I expected in an assassin, he may surprise you."_ She told Jacob, and he nodded, although his lips said otherwise.

"Yeah. And he may not." He snapped, Shepard letting him leave.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair as she left the conference room, turning sharply in the opposite direction to Jacob. She smiled at the now familiar sight of the lab, Mordins swift hands pushing buttons, controlling everything with ease. He lifted his head, nodding to her in greeting, carefully putting down his current experiment to sign to her.

_"Hello, Commander."_ His hands signed quickly, his lips filling in the gaps left by the lesser amount of digits on his hands. Shepard chuckled, signing back, happy to save her voice. 

_"I told you, you don't have to sign, learning was more than enough."_ She attempted to reassure, the Salarian shaking his head, the blink of his eyes the only slow thing about him.

_"No, want to, signing, very interesting. Movement as language, symbols, gestures, very telling of humans." He rambled, pausing to type something into his screens, shaking his head in disappointment of the results._

_" _How's it going here?"_ She asked, Mordin shrugging._

_"Busy, just need more samples, more Collector data. Tissue samples, the bugs, anything you can get, I can use. Find new tech."_ She nodded, signing that she would let him work, ducking out of the lab quickly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> loving this tbh this is gunna be cringey and cool and idk i suck at writing lmaooooooo kill me
> 
> also i did NOT take into account how hard it is to write without using sound AT ALL


	3. Chapter 3

Shepard sighed in relief, tapping her fingers across the datapad carefully, deleting an email from the illusive man, ignoring them as they came. More dossiers, more orders, more bullshit. She couldn't stomach him, his eyes left her with a chill in her gut, his hands precise but inexpressive when he even bothered to sign anything for her. When she came to the doors of the life support, she took a deep breath, typing out her message, deleting it, and typing it again, before entering.

She stood awkwardly for a moment, watching Thane, sure he must have heard her enter, but not turning around. He shifted slightly in his seat, his shoulders rising and falling. After a few more seconds, he turned fully in his chair, narrowing his brow for a moment, the scowl throwing Shepard off slightly. 

"I apologize, I didn't-" Shepard waved him off, too tired to focus on the lips and the letters they formed, unsure of what the end of his sentence even was. 'Realize' or 'Expect you,' she decided. One of the two. 

She came to sit across from him, casually sliding the datapad to him. He cocked his brow at her for a moment, before picking it up, reading over the single line she had quickly wrote. She tapped her floor restlessly, looking around at the small room, idly wondering if the engine had noises that bothered him, if the lights emitted any warm hums. He slid the datapad back over to her before answering.

"I have some old contacts, perhaps they can be of assistance in upgrading the Normandy?" She nodded, scrolling through the list, sending off messages, impatiently looking over the suggestions Thane had brought up. When she looked back to him, his eyes hadn't left her, his lips set in a straight like, face unchanged, unnerving her slightly.

"Do you need something else?" He asked, speaking slower than before, his lips curling round the words roughly, she nodded, typing into the datapad.

_"I want to talk about you, have a few minutes to talk?"_ The few moments it took him to read and slide the device back to her made her on edge, anxious.

"Certainly. We haven't had a chance since I joined, and I got the impression our first meeting was... less than cellar." Shepard raised her eyebrows, trying to play over the image of his words in her head, before sighing and typing out another small message.

"I understand, reading my lips must be difficult, I... I've never met a human with impaired hearing." He said, slower this time, his cheeks more expressive in the way they moved, making it easier for Shepard to pick out the vowels. She smiled, waving it off, telling him not to worry about it, before typing in what she had wanted to ask him about.

_"When we met you, you said you were dying."_ He nodded gravely when his eyes glanced over the screen, running his fingers over the edges carefully before handing the datapad back to her, waiting to have her full attention before replying carefully.

"Yes. I thought you'd want to know more. You don't have to worry about the rest of the crew. My illness is not communicable, even to other drell. It's called Kepral's syndrome." She had him repeat the name of the syndrome a few times, testing the new words in her own mouth, copying the movements he made to get the sounds right, even if she coudn't hear them herself.

_"Are you going to be all right till the end of the mission?"_

"I should be fine for another eight to twelve months. The more time I spend in humid environments, the faster it progresses. I think it's safe to say that by the time my body is incapacitated we'll be victorious. Or dead. Either way, I won't be a burden to you." She liked watching him speak, often finding her eyes drifting to the blush pink frills that lined his face, watching how they moved with each syllable.

They carried on like that, Shepard enjoying the strange harmony in which the passed the datapad between each other. Thane keeping true to his word, keeping the speed of his voice slow. Deliberately making an effort to be more expressive, though his face often stayed set in its strange contours. He told her of the sickness that was killing him slowly, each breath becoming more labored, about the relation with Drell and Hanar, and how they had given them refuge on Khaje. 

_"You seem calm about it. You don't act like a dying man."_

"You have the advantage there, Shepard. You've already died. Perhaps later you can give me some suggestions. I can do nothing to alter my fate. One advantage of my training is that I've always, to some degree, considered myself dead." She half laughed, never considering her death an advantage before then.

"Thank you for your concern. Trust me, this won't affect my performance. Now, may I ask you a question?" He asked, taking the datapad from her, smirking slightly, as if having just been given the punchline to a joke at her expense. 

_"There are many ways to have hearing defects repaired, why have you not partook? Surely it would make a military career more accessible?"_ Shepard sighed, Thane cocking his brow carefully, crossing his hands in from of his face, blocking her view of his mouth. She put the pad down, instead signing her answer.

_"My deafness, I don't consider a 'defect'"-_ she emphasized the word, folding her palms out, trying to convey her feelings through the motions _"-it's just another way to experience the universe, my team learn how to signal to me in combat, the deaf community is a culture all of its own, like Drell or Hanar, I've learned more while deaf than I think I could have ever learned hearing."_ She finished, Thane following the movements of her hands, carefully considering them, before answering.

"I am sorry, it seems I always find a way to offend, I never considered it that way." He smiled, apologetic. Shepard smiled, shaking her head.

_"It's okay, I'm used to it."_ She typed into the datapad, the small speech now memorized fully, given to more or less every new crew member and authority figure. She smiled at the memory of Anderson laughing and clapping her on the back after giving it to him, and how he had recommended her for Spectre status not long after.

"Thank you for your patience," He smiled, Shepard getting up, sliding the datapad over one last time, before walking briskly out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, how's that?" Chakwas asked slowly, her eyes shifting from the monitor to Shepard.

 _"It's okay, hardly feel it though."_ Shepard signed, frowning, straining to feel the small vibrations, reaching a finger up to press the new hearing aid more tightly to her skin.

"How about... now?" Chakwas asked, her eyebrow arching as she paused mid sentence, her fingers briskly tapping against the screen.

As she spoke the last word, Shepard nodding, smiling at the now familiar vibrations, the ear piece drumming against her skin, talking to her in symbols she understood. Chakwas smiled triumphantly, entering notes, checking the ear piece as it sat in her ear, before pulling her chair closer and meeting Shepard's gaze. Slowly she sounded out each syllable, watching Shepards expression carefully.

"Do you understand me?" Shepard waited, the dots and dashes a much longer statement, her brow furrowing slightly as she took care to distinguish each dot or dash before it moved onto the next. She nodded, giving the beaming doctor a thumbs up.

 _"It's a little fast, but I think it'll work."_ Shepard signed, her knuckles turning up and over, hands fluid in the motions, and confident in the doctors ability to read her.

"Good, I'll tell Mordin, I'm sure he'll be pleased." Chakwas smirked, already motioning her omni tool. Shepard waited patiently, resisting the urge to fiddle with the small device, the beeps and dashes of her last words still inputting into her ear even after the doctor had turned her attention elsewhere.

"Of course, this is primarily for combat situations." Chakwas mused, mostly to herself, standing and leaning in to examine it once more.

"Soon, you'll get directives and intel entirely from this, rather than from your team members." She stated slowly, Shepard nodding, her finger running over the bump where the ear plug shaped aid sat in her ear.

 _"I'm sure Garrus will appreciate not having to come tell me shit every twenty minutes."_ She signed bitterly, hardly looking at the doctor as her hands cut the words sharply, her frowning smile too pitying for her taste.

 _"Hey, thanks doc, I can't wait to test it out in the field."_ Shepard recovered, already standing and heading to the door, not looking at the doctor, and ignoring the buzzing of words, of dashes and dots.

She pushed the piece into her ear, the conversations of the other crew members being picked up. Someone complaining about the food, another confiding in her friend that she was terrified of the collectors and the assassin in the life support. Shepard smiled, the faint buzzing giving her access, letting her pick up on things she usually missed so easily. She entered the elevator, pressing the button to her room, enthusiastically hopping from one foot to the other.

Her room lit up as she entered, and she ignored the flashing light of a message in her inbox, the silhouettes of her fish being cast on the walls, finally stopping before her small stereo. She considered it for a moment, on hand beside her face, her fingers brushing over the smooth plastic, the other nervously pulling at the loose thread of her hoodie. She took a deep breath before letting her finger roll through the many music stations, closing her eyes and picking one at random. She closed her eyes, slowly sitting onto her bed, hands balling the sheets in her fists as she let the words wash over her.

_.- -. -.. / .-. ..- -. / ..-. .-. --- -- / - .... . -- --..-- / ..-. .-. --- -- / - .... . -- / .-- .. - .... / -. --- / -.. .. .-. . -.-. - .. --- -. / .-- . .----. .-.. .-.. / .-. ..- -. / ..-. .-. --- -- / - .... . -- --..-- / ..-. .-. --- -- / - .... . -- / .-- .. - .... / -. --- / -.-. --- -. ...- .. -.-. - .. --- -._

She could practically see the symbols in her head as the words filled her, her hand resting over the speaker, the tunes beat and bass letting her put a beat to the words, understanding, worrying her lip between her teeth, nodding along as best she could. Her world focused down to those two things, the slightly off words, the vibrations struggling to keep up, as they translated short words to even longer buzzes, and the blaring desperate beats under her palms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i knooow im trash and dont update even nearly enough!!! >< but also worked on this for N7 day, forgot to post it, and with the whole *cough* problem in the colonies, i wanted to make sure this was nice and a little fluffy so we can all pretend the sun dried tomato with vocal cords did not just a guarantee to use the nuclear laugh codes after every twitter war. well. not fluffy, but something nice? I cant do fluff because im trash lmaoo anyway IM PLANNING on updating all my other fics by the end of this week hopefully but dont hold me to that. also i had a real special fic for n7 day i worked on for like months but AO3 deleted it and i hate my life. 
> 
> Also i know this might be a SUPER STUPID IDEA BUT I JUST THOUGHT of it and figured hey..... that'll work?? but also im sure theres a billion reasons it wouldnt and im just too dumb to even thiink of that.
> 
> sorry for the long notes IDK I HAVE LOTS OF STUPID THINGS TO SAY.


	5. Thane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacks recruitment!! I'm a mess!!!!
> 
> This started off as a enemies to friends kinda thing but now its more enemies to one of them gets major crush on enemy.

Thane closed his eyes, attempting to ignore the turbulence, the pilot shouting, the Salarian responding curtly. Mordin, Thane remembered their meeting, the Salarian seemed frazzled, juggling his research, and the conversation haphazardly. 

Shepard stood, holding a railing, her eyes drifting. She set her mouth into a straight line when their eyes met, Thane now recognizing it as the expression she adapted before battle. He nodded, letting his hand hold the handle of the small pistol at his hip, moving to stand beside the opposite side of the door. Mordin fumbled, signing to her the pilots’ information. She rolled her eyes, tapping her ear and raising her brow at him. 

"Nearly at the prison, Jack has been approved for release." He said, Thane strained to hear him over the engines hum. Thane nodded, Mordin giving him a considering glance. Thane could tell he still hadn’t made his mind up about him, and Thane wasn’t surprised, or concerned. He found himself liking the scientist however, his strict values and focused attitude, Thane related and could see how the illusive man had deemed him useful.

“Good.” Shepard let out a small breath of relief. Thane leaned back against the wall, the vessel lurching violently.

“Might just be smooth sailing, huh?” She asked, her voice high with tension, not looking for a response from either of them. Mordin smiled, signing something to her too quickly for Thane to discern, trying to see how the Salarian could form the correct shapes, even with his limited digits. She laughed, shaking her head at whatever he had said, her grip on the railing tightening. Thane caught her attention, cautiously touching her hand, pulling back when she scowled at him.

 _“You don’t enjoy flying?”_ He signed, clumsy, slowly. She seemed surprised, eyebrows raised, shrugging before she spoke her reply.

“I’m okay with it, but when it’s like this-” She bit her lip, shaking her head before looking him in the eyes once more, "-brings back some bad memories." She finished, worrying her lip between her teeth.

“Since when did you sign?” She demanded, her fingers tapping against the metal. He seemed to have distracted her too much to feel afraid, and he smiled.

“Since we last talked. _I’m still getting used to it._ ” He had to keep referring to his memories, playing the vids through his head again and again, not enough to get lost in the memory, but enough to string together the sentences. He remembered the third hour long vid he had watched, how the human woman had slowly moved her hands, even her arms. She had mentioned something about being more expressive in the form of communication, and Thane had practiced his faces in the mirror. He felt ridiculous, remembering the times he had been told how hard to read he was.

“Th-Thank you. I think. You didn’t have to.” She rambled, looking to Mordin as he talked with the pilot once more.

“ _Ready to depart?_ ” Mordin asked, finally picking up the small case of his weapons from beneath a chair, checking them closely, before securing them to his person. The bangs and settling of them docking echoed through the metal walls.

“Fuck yes,” Shepard sighed in relief, making sure she had her own weapons set, even making sure they were loaded, despite having done it already on the Normandy. Thane felt compelled to do the same, moving to stand next to the door.

“Simple extraction. We go in, I sign the papers, let me do the… talking.” She reiterated, the door opening onto the platform.

 _“Of course.”_ Mordin signed again, nodding his head, his big eyes taking over his face as he blinked.

Thane followed after her, falling into step with Mordin as they entered the prison. The Turians met them, an awkward exchange between the apparent ‘Warden’. Thane struggled to hold in his humored chuckle when she refused to disarm, Mordin interpreting for her when her actions needed little translation. He crossed his arms, watching as the Turian assessed them all, suddenly thinking better of the policy.

They were led further into the prison, weapons still secure on their belts. Thane mused how easily he had evaded the station for years, wondering his lesser competition had fared within its walls. They passed a cell with a desperate soul, begging them to “buy” him too. Shepard had turned her nose up at the idea, not the prisoner was still asking when they mentioned Jack. Apparently they had a reputation.

“Ever heard of this ‘Jack’?” Mordin had asked in a quick breath, his furrowing brow clearly considering most possibilities.

“No. Not an assassin, and not anyone’s target... from what I've heard.” Thane answered, also looking each guard over, pondering their numbers and how easily they would be to overpower.

“Hard to be these days.” Mordin commented, a small smirk falling on both their lips as the Turian guard directed them to the room they would pick Jack up from, after processing was completed. The room was scarce, a single human inside, wearing a lab coat. The door shut abruptly behind them, the human eyeing the door on the other side of the room. 

When the fighting started it was sudden, the doors locking, the guards that had greeter them just minutes before suddenly firing as they ducked into cover. Shepard had fallen into it easily, directing them with small motions and signs when she could, but focusing on taking them out as quickly as possible. When they finally got through the doors, they were faced with a choice, again one she made easily. After Jack was free, the fire broke out almost instantly, the woman tearing the mechs, people. and station apart. Amidst the fighting, Thane wondered if she had made the choices lightly, or if she simply didn't care for the consequences. Either way, none of them faltered, Mordin loyal to her as she directed him to cover, forcing him to confront two Turian guards that had taken shelter from the biotic.

They finally caught up to Jack, the human back tracking, her hands still pulsing with the energy that had ripped the prison apart. She stopped, eyeing them carefully when they blocked her path. Her lips curling in a snarl, like a cornered Varren.

“Hello, Jack.” Shepard said, trying her best to sound friendly, though still huffing from the fight before.

“Cerberus.” Jack spat, the leather cinching on her skin, Thane only able to recognize a few of the symbols decorating her skin.

“Seems unstable.” Mordin commented, though Shepard was focused on looking at Jack. Shepard took a breath, rolling her eyes at the mention of the organization.

"What the hell do you want?" Jack gritted out, her dark lips forming the words against the gritting of her teeth.

"Her name is Shepard, Mordin-" He gestured to himself, speaking for the Commander as if they'd rehearsed it,-"And Thane."

"So?" She spat, pacing back and forth, even in the confined space of the hall.

"We're here to get you off this ship." He surmised, blinking between her and the Commander, the latter looking her over carefully.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. You're Cerberus." She huffed, calming slightly, but keeping her distance and pacing.

"So?" Morin prompted, frowning slightly.

"They've been on my ass for years. Ruined my life, every time I break out, another massive bounty on my head." She stared at the ship, as if the logo had personally insulted her.

"Haven't seen her name on the records." Mordin muttered to himself. 

"Why should I trust you when your apparent leader won't even talk?" She yelled, gesturing to Shepard.

"I saved your ass." She grunted, gesturing to the guard she shot dead behind her.

"He was already dead. Just didn't know it yet." She grunted back.

"I'm here to ask for your help, believe me, I don't want to work for Cerberus anymore than you do." Shepard carried on, taking a step closer.

"You show up in a Cerberus frigate to take me away somewhere, you think I'm stupid?" She glanced out the window again, hardly paying attention when Shepard nodded.

"This station is going down in flames, thanks to you, and I'm your only way off. Want to keep arguing?" She snapped, Thane stepped forward, catching the Commanders attention.

" _We could just... knock her out and take her._ " He signed, attempting to hide the small smile that spread across his face when she shook her head, hiding her laughter behind her hand before donning her serious face and tone.

"Why does she sound like that anyway?" Jack jeered, narrowing her eyes, "Got something stuck in your throat?"

"I'm deaf, asshole." Shepard snapped.

Thane mulled over the events, another biotic recruited, and if the dossier he had stolen was accurate, she had more power than him. Though she hadn’t learned to control it well. Thane closed the file, tapping his fingers against the table again, leaning back in his chair. Usually, he would use the time alone to meditate, to go over the events, the expressions, the queues he would miss daily. Instead wondering if Shepard would have gone to bed as usual, or if she was enacting her habit of roaming the halls and talking to everyone.

He smiled at the memory of Jack awkwardly conversing with her, he recognized her ability to use the strength and tone of her voice to intimidate. He hated watching so often, itching to be of more use to the cause, the recruiting was becoming tedious. 

He sighed, moving to leave. Tea usually helped when he was restless. As the door opened his face nearly met fist, quickly reaching up to grip and twist the hand that had almost connected. Almost instantly, he dropped it, reeling and apologizing, Shepards flushed and humored smile breaking her surprise.

“ _Sorry_ ,” She signed, Thane still feeling guilty.

 _“Should know better than to sneak up on an assassin.”_ She added, Thane unable to recognise some of the signs, filling in the blanks. ‘Assassin’, not being one of the words included in basic conversation vids.

“ _I’m sorry, is there something you needed?_ ” He asked, his fused fingers making the movements harder, but taking the advice of the vid instructor, compensating with the bigger movements, and facial expression.

“No, I just… wanted to talk.” She sighed, frowning at her own words, scratching the back of her neck nervously.

“Everyone else has turned in, and I can’t sleep… It was either this or taking my chances with Joker.” She chuckled nervously.

“Ah yes. I believe he commented about me, ‘the cuddling murderous type’?” Thane smirked slightly, crossing his arms, Shepard nodding in agreement.

“ _I was about to make tea_ , would you like to join me, Commander?” He asked, signing as much as he could, and she nodded, a comfortable silence falling as he took her lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry lmaooo if you wanna know WHY im such a mess go to the me tag in my tumblr, everything will be explained. Anyway yep, I'm gunna try to be updating more but also dw if i take ages like even if this takes me YEARS I wont just stop writing ill at least finish all my ongoing fics. anywhoo thnks for reading and putting up with me/my writing. any typos are due to it being 4am and im watching fuckbois on musically.

**Author's Note:**

> that title literally took me an hour, the bane of my life.


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